How to Make a Kettlebell Mold

Written by robert preston

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Kettlebell weights are heavy, rounded exercise tools that you hold by an exposed handle and use for swinging exercises. A cheap alternative to purchasing kettlebells from a commercial retailer is to make your own kettlebells. By calculating the diameter of bell needed to create your desired weight, you can then form a mould using a simple inflatable ball, and pour your kettlebell for only the cost of the products that you use to make bells of multiple sizes.

Skill level:

Moderately Easy

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Things you need

Calculator

Inflatable ball

Pump

String

Tape measure

Plaster of Paris

Rebar

Vice

Metal pipe, 6 inches long

Cement mix

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Instructions

Calculating Circumference of Ball

1

Divide the desired weight by the cubic-foot weight of your concrete of choice, displayed on the bag, to determine the cubic feet of concrete required.

2

Multiply the result by 1,728 to convert into cubic inches required.

3

Multiply the volume by 3/4.

4

Divide the result by pi.

5

Take the cube root of the result to determine the radius of the ball required.

6

Multiply the result by 2, and the result of that by pi to determine the circumference desired.

Making the Mold

1

Inflate ball to the desired circumference, wrapping a string around the ball and measuring the length of the string to determine the circumference.

2

Mix the plaster of Paris according to your brand of choice's recipe.

3

Cover the exterior of the ball with a layer of plaster, at least 1 inch thick, leaving a slot at the top of the ball open for the insertion of the handle, then leave to dry.

4

Deflate the ball once the plaster has dried until the ball is deflated enough to be removed out the hole in the top of the plaster mould.

5

Thread rebar through the pipe piece, using as many pieces as you can fit.

6

Secure one end of the rebar pieces in a vice, and pull on the opposite end while wearing work gloves to bend the rebar down and underneath the pipe piece.

7

Repeat for the second side of rebar so that the pipe makes a handle and the rebar is bent underneath the handle.

8

Mix the concrete according to the recipe for your brand of choice and pour into the ball mould.

9

Insert the rebar down into the wet concrete, creating a handle for the bell.

10

Apply wet concrete around the rebar pieces so that the concrete reaches the pipe.